This document discusses formalism, also known as New Criticism, which is a literary theory that focuses exclusively on analyzing the literal elements within a text without consideration of external contexts like the author's biography. It examines the relationship between a text's form and content. The document also provides a glossary of major formalist literary terms used to analyze elements like characters, imagery, plot, point of view, setting, and theme.

1. FORMALISM
(also known as
New Criticism)

2. • Formalism refers to a style of inquiry that focuses,
almost exclusively, on features of the literary text
itself, to the exclusion of biographical, historical, or
intellectual contexts
• New Criticism, incorporating Formalism, examines the
relationships between a text's ideas and its form,
between what a text says and the way it says it
• New Criticism attempts to be a science of literature,
with a technical vocabulary

3. Formalism
• emphasizes explication, or "close reading," of "the
work itself"
• aims to classify, categorize, and catalog works
according to their formal attributes
• attempts to treat each work as its own distinct
piece, free from its environment, era, and even
author
• focuses on the internal workings of the text rather
than its external influences

4. Glossary of major
Formalist literary terms:
• Character— creation and representation of fictional persons and
entities
antagonist — the main villain
antihero — a central sympathetic character with significant
personal flaws
dynamic— changing, growing, active
flat— not well-developed
protagonist— the main character with whom the audience is
expected to sympathize
round— well-developed
static— not growing or changing, an inactive personality
symbolic— caricature that is representative of certain kinds of
people

5. Glossary of major
Formalist literary terms:
• Figures of speech —various expressive devices used in
vivid writing
allegory—parallel story with underlying moral or message
analogy—extended comparison of things or events with other
things and events
irony—paradoxical events, ideas, or attitudes that are played
off against each other
sarcasm—making serious fun of things, ideas, people, or
events
satire—synthesis of heavily developed ironies and sarcasms
metaphor—brief or extended comparison of something with
something else

6. Glossary of major
Formalist literary terms:
• personification—comparing inanimate things to
people
• simile—something or someone is "as a"
something else
• symbolism—using inanimate or imagined things
to stand for real situations
• intangible—imaginary or "mental" symbols
• tangible—physical or "actual" symbols

7. Glossary of major
Formalist literary terms:
• synecdoche—using the narrative of a large human issue to
illustrate a smaller, more particular concern; comparing a
whole with one or more of its parts (as in saying "the
smiling year" to indicate spring)
• metonymy—using the story of a small, localized event to
illustrate a larger social concern; comparing a part with the
whole (as in "he gave up the sword" to indicate leaving a
life of warfare)

8. Glossary of major
Formalist literary terms:
Imagery— specific details used to describe characters,
situations, things, ideas, or events
hearing—images that make you hear sounds in your mind
seeing—images that draw mental pictures
smelling—images that bring the memories of odors and aromas to
mind
tasting—images that make you recall or imagine how something
might taste
touching—images that help you imagine how something might feel
on your skin
extrasensory—images that take you to an imaginary world of
sensations

9. Glossary of major
Formalist literary terms:
• Plot — a series of events or happenings that organize a text
climax—the point of highest dramatic tension in a text
complicated—characterized by many twists and turns
conflict—plot features that demonstrate human rivalries and
difficulties, whether internal or external
external—conflicts that are active, perhaps physical or overtly
expressed
internal—conflicts that are passive, perhaps mental or covertly
expressed
dénouement—final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the
strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or
resolved

10. Glossary of major
Formalist literary terms:
• Plot — a series of events or happenings that organize a text
foreshadowing—plot features that predict other events, such as the
climax or dénouement
implausible—fantastic plots that are not acceptable in the everyday
sense of reality
inciting event—event that marks the beginning of a course of action
plausible—believable, everyday plots
recognition—events that reveal aspects of a character in a new light
reversal—events that mark a turnabout of fortune for a character
simple—arranged with few twists and turns

11. Glossary of major
Formalist literary terms:
Point of view — perspective of the controlling narrative voice
first person—narrative voice that speaks with "I/we/us" pronouns
limited omniscience—narrator who doesn't know everything
objective—narrator who tries to tell the story from an impersonal point
of view
omniscient—narrator who presumes to know the ultimate truth of the
story
reliable—narrator who can be trusted to tell the truth and be objective
subjective—narrator whose personal viewpoint has skewed the telling
of the story
third person—narrative voice that uses "he/she/they" pronouns
unreliable—narrator who cannot be trusted to tell the truth or be
objective

12. Glossary of major
Formalist literary terms:
Setting —atmosphere, historical period, physical setting,
or mood of text
place—physical or psychical locations of events, things, characters,
and historical times
time—physical or psychical progression of events
ahistorical—not grounded in any "real" historical period; imaginary or
fantastic
chronological—linear telling of events
backward—starting at the end and working toward the beginning
forward—starting at the beginning and working toward the end
circular—a reflection that begins anywhere, goes to the end, works its
way to the beginning, and eventually gets back to where it started

13. Glossary of major
Formalist literary terms:
Theme —a major idea or message in the text
controlling idea—the organizing theme of a work
related ideas—subthemes that contribute to the development
of the main idea
separate issues—ideas not directly related to the main idea or
subthemes, but that are nevertheless important and contribute
to the overall success of the text